It is well known that a palatable milk substitute can be obtained by combining homogenized fluid milk and powdered skim milk. Such a combined product produces considerable savings, since an equal volume of powdered skim milk is significantly cheaper than homogenized, 2% or skim milk. While in a home environment there is no problem in blending powdered skim milk with homogenized fluid milk to produce such a palatable whole milk substitute, problems develop in applying this practice to large scale institutions. Essentially labour costs eliminate the cost savings which will otherwise result. As well, there is not, in the marketplace today, an efficient sanitary method of mixing such milk.
At the present time, for large scale institutional use, about the only way of producing such a palatable milk substitute is to mix the powdered skim milk and water in proper proportions in a pail, portion the resultant mixture and add homogenized or 2% milk.
There is presently available for commercial use in the marketplace powdered milk in a twenty liter capacity bag having a flexible outlet tube adaptable to commercial milk dispensers. The purchaser simply fills the bag with water prior to use. This eliminates the necessity of measuring water or powder, since the powder is in the right proportion in the bag for the size of the bag.
Conventional gravity flow milk dispensers consist of insulated cabinets within which, usually, either a single or double compartment for holding milk is found. A front door provides access to the compartment or compartments within which one or more milk containers sit. In one form of such a milk dispenser, one or more cages sit within the compartment, each to hold, for example, a twenty liter milk bag having a flexible outlet tube at its bottom. A single liquid outlet controller having a mechanism for pinching the outlet tube from the milk bag within, is positioned in front of each compartment on the outside of the milk dispenser cabinet. The valve is handle operated so that the consumer, by manipulating the handle, obtains the desired amount of milk in a glass or other receptacle positioned beneath that tube outlet. In double compartment dispensers, two such outlet controllers are provided, one for each container or cage. Milk is dispensed under gravity flow.
Examples of outlet tube controllers for example used in dispensing fluids through flexible tubes are described in Canadian Pat. No. 79,730 of Horsey issued Mar. 24, 1903; Canadian Pat. No. 866,653 of Cross issued Mar. 23, 1971; Canadian Pat. No. 891,367 of Norris issued Jan. 25, 1972; and Canadian Pat. No. 974,145 of Thompson issued Sept. 9, 1975.
If such a commercial double milk dispenser were used in a manner such that homogenized milk was placed in one compartment and reconstituted skim milk placed in the other, the person dispensing could then fill half a glass or receptacle from each side and mix with a spoon or utensil. Such a method however would lack consistency and relies for its success on the judgement of the person operating the machine to ensure that proper proportions are mixed. As well, problems of convenience and sanitation arise in such a method.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved commercial milk dispensing system which will enable a palatable combination of reconstituted powdered skim milk, and homogenized milk, to be provided in a receptacle. While the invention has broader application than milk, and may be used for dispensing a mixed blend of other fluids, the invention will be described primarily in the context of milk dispensers. It is of course not intended to limit the scope of the invention to milk dispensers.